I'm going to be in LA May 20 - 24. If any locals want to do a meetup let me know! C'mon LA!

you picked a good time to come to town, right before the 2 best restaurants (madeleine bistro and pure luck) close! i say hit up pure luck for lunch on saturday, and get a madeleine bistro reservation for sunday brunch. be sure to book with madeleine, they will probably be a bit crowded.

good to know! i thought i missed out on madeleine.i'm making a reservation now.

Mmm. Thank you. I'm so glad to hear that there's a high-end vegan place over the hill. Madeleine Bistro is amazing and will always have a firm grip on my heart, but they've been transitioning out of business for so long now that I always think every meal I have there will be the last.

I really enjoyed it. I got something fairly ordinary like arugula pesto with gluten-free pasta because I was starving. It was really hard to decide, so much looked so good. They have a burger that gets excellent reviews and I'm a gal who loves a burger. So, next time.

My friend got a couple of dishes that looked awesome. Mr. Sz had pumpkin pie for desert and said it was the best he's ever had. He got an amazing appetizer, too, but I can't remember what it was.

The menu on the website was different from what was actually there.

Oh! There is a small parking lot in the back. You have to go through another parking lot to get there, it's kind of confusing. There's neighborhood parking nearby as well but we went on the night of that huge windstorm and it would have been nice to park closer, but we couldn't figure it out in time and were stressed from the traffic that we didn't yet realize was a result of so many traffic lights being knocked out.

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:20 pmPosts: 1093Location: Land of the First Kaiju

You guys, I had no idea Cafe Gratitude was in LA now, too! I'm visiting a friend and just went tonight. SO good. Corny names but seriously delicious eats. It's on Larchmont, so check it out if you haven't already.

Thanks for directing me here! I started a Los Angeles thread not realizing that one already existed. Some of my favorite LA eateries have already been named: Real Food Daily, Veggie Grill, Bulan Vegetarian Thai. I'm also very fond of Tara's Himalayan Cuisine in Culver City (Nepalese/Tibetan food), which although omni, has some vegan options (my favorite being the garlic tofu and the green beans), and Annapurna Cuisine, a vegetarian South Indian place also in Culver City.

Oh Man, Tara's Himilayan is awesome! One of my favorite things to eat in Los Angeles is the Veggie Plate at Cafe Brazil (omni) on Washington Blvd in Culver City. It is seriously amazing...like...oh my god.

_________________I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members. - Groucho Marx

A quick little heads up -- Mendocino Farms has expanded and now has locations at the Target complex in West Hollywood and across from the Grover/Farmers Market in mid-city (in addition to the two locations downtown). And they've expanded their vegan offerings! They currently have a vegan bahn mi, a vegan club (my favorite), a vegan shwarma wrap (make sure to ask for the vegan tortilla!) and a vegan BBQ torta sandwich. YUM.

Oh, and another little gem is Bawarchi Indian Kitchen on Venice Blvd. (in Culver City). It's all vegetarian, and when I was there about 75% of the offerings were vegan. They have really great stuff like lotus root and jackfruit.

You guys, I had no idea Cafe Gratitude was in LA now, too! I'm visiting a friend and just went tonight. SO good. Corny names but seriously delicious eats. It's on Larchmont, so check it out if you haven't already.

Agreed -- it's really good (and kind of cult-y). Sometimes I get annoyed at the prices, though. Some of the really basic bowls seem so expensive!

I love MCafe but I just read that the Culver City location closed? I am beyond sad if this is true.

Almost two years later, I still miss that M. Cafe. Native Foods is nice, but I adore M. Cafe. Thank goodness the Melrose location is still around -- I get there once in a rare while, but it isn't as convenient for me. There's also a location in Beverley Hills that I like less.

Also, in the same nostalgic vein, does anyone remember Cafe Flourish, which used to be located on Wilshire? They had the most amazing pizzas, including one deep dish with vegan sausage that was so good. They had excellent vegan BLTs with avocado, too. Oh, I miss them so much!

Mmmm, has anyone been to Sage Bistro lately, on Sunset in Echo Park? Every time I go there I say that I could eat every single meal there. In my opinion their lunch menu is the best. Check it out if you haven't been. Seriously good stuff. I want to give some suggestions, but I can only think of one thing I've had that's not superdelicious, and that's the heart of palm salad. Everything else I've had has been killer.

I went to Madeleine Bistro last night! The food was superb, as usual over there (I only go on very special occasions, because it's also pricey). I found out though that the owners will be opening a gelato/panini shop (called Maddie's) on Pico, near the Westside Pavilion. The are hoping to have it open around Labor Day weekend. I can't wait to see what magical treats they'll conjure in the new place!

In the course of that conversation I also found out from some other customers at Madeleine's that Scoops has opened a second ice cream parlor on Overland and Palms. If you haven't been there, they have the most amazing flavors, four of which are vegan.

So, two new reasons for vegan ice cream lovers in Los Angeles to rejoice!

Hey LA vegans! I am going to be staying in Venice next week, but my friends will be busy much of the time so I'm going to be doing a lot of exploring on my own. What are some good restaurants to go to solo? Also, what should I try to do other than hang by the beach while they're at work? I've been to LA a few times and done most of the touristy stuff.

I will have access to a car, and am not opposed to driving out of the city a bit.

I like Samosa House on Washington in Culver City. It's veggie with lots of vegan options. The Getty is always pretty to do (herb ritts photo exhibit going on right now). $15 for parking but free to get in the museum. You can easily bethere all day. Bring a bag lunch to eat in the garden. Or treat yourself to Native Foods in Westwood afterwards (not far from the Getty). Go to Will Rogers State Park and hike. Peaceful/pretty grounds. Parking cost there too....I want to say 10 dollars. But there are buses that go on Sunset or you can try and park down the hill from Will Rogers.

I like Samosa House on Washington in Culver City. It's veggie with lots of vegan options. The Getty is always pretty to do (herb ritts photo exhibit going on right now). $15 for parking but free to get in the museum. You can easily bethere all day. Bring a bag lunch to eat in the garden. Or treat yourself to Native Foods in Westwood afterwards (not far from the Getty). Go to Will Rogers State Park and hike. Peaceful/pretty grounds. Parking cost there too....I want to say 10 dollars. But there are buses that go on Sunset or you can try and park down the hill from Will Rogers.

Thank you! I have been to the Getty but would go back for Herb Ritts. I am definitely into hiking - is it safe to go alone during the day?